Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Joe Rogan

Public opinion and media debates around Joe Rogan—discover key moments of controversy.

Joe Rogan is an American podcaster, comedian, UFC color commentator, actor, and former television host. He is best known for hosting The Joe Rogan Experience, a highly popular podcast that has gained significant traction, especially on Spotify. The podcast covers a wide range of topics with diverse guests, contributing to Rogan's widespread influence and recognition in the media landscape.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1993: Accusations of Joke Thievery

In 1993, Joe Rogan began making claims that comedian Carlos Mencia was stealing jokes. These accusations would later lead to a public confrontation in 2007.

2005: Blog Entry Accusing Carlos Mencia

In 2005, Joe Rogan wrote a blog entry accusing comedian Carlos Mencia of joke thievery. This blog post amplified Rogan's claims against Mencia, which he had been making since 1993.

February 2007: Confronts Carlos Mencia

In February 2007, Joe Rogan confronted comedian Carlos Mencia on stage at The Comedy Store in Hollywood over allegations of joke thievery. The incident was recorded and uploaded to YouTube.

2010: Accuses Dane Cook of Joke Thievery

In 2010, Joe Rogan accused comedian Dane Cook of joke thievery. This added to Rogan's history of publicly addressing alleged plagiarism in the comedy world.

April 2021: Contentious remarks about COVID-19 vaccines

In April 2021, Joe Rogan made contentious remarks about COVID-19 vaccines, claiming that young, healthy people do not need to be vaccinated against the virus. This view was criticized by Anthony Fauci and White House communication director Kate Bedingfield.

September 1, 2021: Tests positive for COVID-19

On September 1, 2021, Joe Rogan tested positive for COVID-19. Soon after, he released an online video reporting on the status of his condition and stating that he had begun a regimen including monoclonal antibodies, prednisone, azithromycin, NAD drip, a vitamin drip, as well as ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug.

January 2022: Open letter from scientists regarding misinformation

In January 2022, 270 scientists, physicians, professors, doctors, and healthcare workers wrote an open letter to Spotify expressing concern over "false and societally harmful assertions" on The Joe Rogan Experience and asked Spotify to "establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation on its platform".

January 24, 2022: Neil Young demands Spotify remove his music

On January 24, 2022, Neil Young posted an open letter demanding that Spotify remove his music from their service if they would not remove The Joe Rogan Experience from their service.

February 4, 2022: Spotify removes 70 Joe Rogan Experience episodes

On February 4, 2022, Spotify removed 70 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience, selected by Rogan, due to racially insensitive language. These episodes pre-date the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 2022: Spotify removes episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience

In February 2022, Spotify removed 113 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience due to some of the episodes having been perceived to have racist and insensitive language.

February 2022: Controversy over use of racial slur

In February 2022, singer India Arie shared a compilation of Joe Rogan saying the racial slur "nigger" on The Joe Rogan Experience on Instagram. Rogan apologized, calling his past language "regretful and shameful".

April 2022: Criticism of transgender women in sports

In April 2022, Joe Rogan criticized transgender women competing in women's sports, particularly in MMA, and referred to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas as potentially being "the woke straw that breaks society's camel's back". He also critiqued transgender martial artist Fallon Fox, emphasizing perceived physical advantages.

October 2022: Sharing discredited litter box hoax

In October 2022, Joe Rogan shared the discredited hoax about schools providing litter boxes for students who identify as cats during an interview with Tulsi Gabbard. He later admitted there was no proof, but falsely claimed discussions had taken place regarding the idea.

February 2023: Antisemitic comment about Jewish people

In February 2023, Joe Rogan made a controversial comment on his podcast stating that the idea of Jewish people not being into money is ridiculous, likening it to Italians not being into pizza. This comment was made in defense of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and was condemned by the Anti-Defamation League for reflecting antisemitic tropes about Jews and money.

February 2024: Promotion of debunked AIDS claims

In February 2024, Joe Rogan promoted the debunked claim that party drugs were a significant factor in AIDS during a podcast with Bret Weinstein, and falsely stated that the antiviral drug AZT killed people faster than AIDS. They praised AIDS denialist Peter Duesberg. The American Foundation for AIDS Research criticized the podcast for disseminating false information.

March 2024: Rogan describes Israel's actions as "genocide"

In March 2024, Joe Rogan described Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip as a "genocide". In a podcast with writer Coleman Hughes eight days later, where Hughes disputed the genocide allegations, Rogan said he appreciated Hughes' perspective, saying: "You clearly know more about it than I do".

April 2024: Lawsuit filed against Onnit over Alpha BRAIN supplement

In April 2024, a lawsuit was filed against Onnit, alleging that its 'Alpha BRAIN' supplement performed no better than a placebo in a clinical study and that the product was surrounded by "false, misleading and deceptive advertising".

November 2024: Criticism of Ukraine war and leaders

In November 2024, Joe Rogan said the Russian invasion of Ukraine was "100% wrong". He criticized outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden for allowing Ukraine to strike back at mainland Russia with US-supplied missiles. He also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

April 2025: Criticizes Trump's deportation operations

By April 2025, little over two months into the second Trump administration and its deportation operations, Joe Rogan referred to the operation to deport immigrants to El Salvador as "horrific".

April 2025: Comment on the re-emergence of the disability slur "retard"

In April 2025, Joe Rogan commented on the re-emergence of the disability slur "retard" into mainstream use, attributing it to the influence of podcasts and considering it a cultural victory.